Auto Racing
Edwards wins the Texas pole; Johnson and Kenseth close
FORT WORTH, Texas – Jimmie Johnson qualified third for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas, one row ahead of Matt Kenseth.
Johnson and Kenseth are tied for the points lead going into Sunday’s race.
Carl Edwards will start on the pole after a qualifying lap of 196.114 mph Friday. Edwards earned his first pole at Texas, where he is the only three-time Cup winner.
The polesitter has won the last two races at the high-banked 1½-mile track.
The odd man out at MWR finds a seat on Furniture Row
FORT WORTH, Texas – Martin Truex Jr. had his spot in the Sprint Cup championship taken away and lost his ride for next season after NASCAR determined his team manipulated the finish of a race to get him there.
Truex now has a new team, signing a multiyear deal to drive for Furniture Row Racing and will fill the seat in the No. 78 Chevrolet being vacated by Kurt Busch at the end of this season.
The expected announcement came about two months after Truex appeared to get in the Chase for Michael Waltrip Racing. But in the aftermath of the Sept. 7 race at Richmond, NASCAR imposed harsh sanctions that included knocking Truex out of the Chase.
In response, NAPA Auto Parts, citing its belief in “fair play,” said it would pull its multimillion-dollar sponsorship from MWR at the end of the year. That forced MWR to reduce its drivers from three to two full-time teams next season, which left Truex as the odd man out.
College Basketball
UConn starts right where it left off – No. 1 in the poll
Geno Auriemma and his UConn Huskies are back in a familiar place – No. 1 in the polls.
Connecticut received all 36 votes Friday in The Associated Press’ women’s basketball poll, marking the ninth time the Huskies are the top team in the preseason. Five of those years UConn went on to win the national championship.
UConn has most of its team back from last season’s national championship run led by sophomore sensation Breanna Stewart, who won most outstanding player of the Final Four honors in April.
Connecticut, which also was the preseason No. 1 in 1995, ’99, 2000, ’01, ’03, ’08, ’09, and ’10 will open Nov. 9 against Hartford before facing No. 3 Stanford two days later.
Duke was second in the poll, its best ranking since the Blue Devils finished at No. 1 in the final poll of 2007. Stanford, led by senior Chiney Ogwumike, was third, followed by Tennessee. Louisville matched its best ranking ever at No. 5.
MLB
Yankees and their captain reach a $12M, 1-year deal
NEW YORK – In a sign of confidence Derek Jeter will return to shortstop next season, the New York Yankees agreed Friday to a $12-million, one-year contract with their captain.
Jeter, who will turn 40 next June, was limited to 17 games this year after breaking his ankle in the 2012 playoffs.
World Series rating goes up but falls for a 6-game set
NEW YORK – The World Series television rating on Fox was up 17 percent over last year but was the lowest for a matchup that went at least six games.
Boston’s 4-2 Series win over St. Louis averaged an 8.9 rating, 15 share and 14.9 million viewers, Nielsen Media Research said Thursday.
Boston’s 6-1 victory in Wednesday night’s clincher received an 11.3/18 and was seen by 19.2 million viewers, baseball’s highest rating since Game 7 of the 2011 World Series. The game, which marked the first title won by the Red Sox at Fenway Park since 1918, drew a 55.2/75 in Boston, the highest MLB rating there since Game 4 of the 2007 World Series.
Associated Press
